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Sleeveless Partlet Experiment

You might remember that I have been experimenting with different partlet styles. Here is the latest; cut to sit high around the neck and with no ties or cords to go around the waist to cause lumps and bumps and affect the line of the bodice.

I designed this one to be worn with a late Tudor/early Elizabethan gown. The back of the partlet is pinned to the back of my pair of bodies. Needing to have someone around to pin it into place is a negative element of the design, as often I don't have anyone to help me dress (which is why I favour front lacing gowns.) It's not as easy to get sitting right as my partlets with armholes - it takes a bit longer when getting dressed to make sure the front sections aren't tucked up. No problem if you have an attentive maidservant or lady in waiting!

The partlet is cut in one (vaguely) Y-shaped piece. The edges were hand stitched to form a very small hem.





I felt that this experiment had mixed success. I expected that the partlet would not sit well under the gown and possibly move around. This did not happen and the partlet stayed in place. However, I did find that the neckline was cut too close to the neck and was not very comfortable. I ended up folding the edges of the neckline under so it was more comfortable. I thought that it looked okay.
Now I am considering cutting the pattern down a bit to make it more comfortable...

Photo credit: M. Nicholas

Cookies Notification for European Union countries

As per new European Union laws I am required  to give European Union visitors information about cookies used and data collected on this blog. This blog is hosted by Google which uses certain Blogger and Google cookies (including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies) and Google may also collect other data. More information on Google's policy relating to this can be found here: https://www.google.com/about/company/user-consent-policy-help.html and
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Incognito mode in Chrome allows you to browse the web without recording web pages and files in your browser or Account history (unless you choose to sign in). Cookies are deleted after you’ve closed all of your incognito windows and tabs, and your bookmarks and settings are stored until you delete them. If you do not consent to these conditions, please unsubscribe.

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Yankalilla History Display

I was recently able to visit Yankalilla in coastal South Australia, and to enjoy the start of the Southern Fleurieu History Festival by visiting the Yankalilla Museum Open Day.

It was a great way to kick off History Month (May) here in South Australia. The venue's focus was on colonial history, so a little out of period for me... but it is always nice to chat to other re-enactors and living history enthusiasts. I also had the opportunity to chat to a lovely lady from the Southern Fleurieu branch of the Embroiderer's Guild. We had a nice talk and I left feeling inspired to finish some projects, and also looking forward to their future exhibitions.

Scones and jam from the local branch of the Country Women's Association was a lovely way to finish off the afternoon!

 Some of the exhibits at the museum:

The Museum is well worth a visit.

Map from: http://www.atn.com.au/sa/south/fleurieumap.html

Evil Woman Bores Furry Helper With "Maintenance" Sewing

My furry helper has been really unwell lately with congestive heart failure and kidney disfunction. She has had a spell in hospital and the vet has given me a very sombre prognosis and told me to enjoy every minute we have together. I must keep her calm and not let her do anything that will cause stress or excitement. This includes some of the Best Things, such as going for walks or drives, barking at the postman and chasing cats or birds.
Needless to say, she is finding the new regime horribly boring, and would like to spend less time helping me with projects and more time doing Exciting Things.

One of the (admittedly quite boring) tasks I had to do recently was add lace onto the sleeve hems of an old chemise to make it look a bit nicer. I think it is worth the effort as those sorts of small touches takes garb just that little bit closer to the clothing in sixteenth century portraits.

Another Boring Thing was taking up an old dress. I am finding that I really start stooping when I am tired and have a tendency to trip on my hem as the event wears on, so I am putting tucks in the hems of most of my dresses.

Embroidered ferrets

It is change of season here, and the weather has gone from quite warm to suddenly very wintry. Naturally there has been a spike in coughs and colds and other illnesses, and I have been sick with various viral and bacterial infections for over a month. This coupled with a hand injury has made my usual slow progress even slower (although that hardly seems possible)! I have had a lot of projects to work on for other people. Here is one that I was working on for a friend.....

One of my friends was invited to join a peerage Order, and his partner asked me to help her with a new jupon for him. She designed it and provided the materials, and I just needed to embroider some stem stitch outlines for her.

I worked these cute little guys in three strands of DMC floss in a split stitch. Once I was finished, I gave them back to my friend and she cut them out, needle-turn appliqued them down and couched thread around the outside.

The finished product was a work of art and a real credit to her. It shows how relatively simple (although time-consuming) techniques can be combined to create very dramatic designs. It has also inspired me to start thinking about different ways of incorporating embroidery into clothing.

Photo credit: C. Lindner

Happy Mother's Day